California

[kal-uh-fawrn-yuh, -fawr-nee-uh] / ˌkæl əˈfɔrn yə, -ˈfɔr ni ə /

NOUN

u.s. state

Synonyms

WEAK

Bear Flag State Cal El Dorado Gold Coast Gold Rush State Golden Bear State Golden Poppy State Golden State La La Land Sunkist State

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Elections can take days, and sometimes weeks, to be called in California because most voters cast their ballots by mail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Since prediction markets are legal nationwide, the sportsbooks have an opportunity to onboard customers in populous states that haven’t legalized traditional sports betting, such as Texas and California.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

It is a large part of the brand’s front-facing image, and to that end, Zegna is partnering with California State Parks to help with wildfire recovery in Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

I don’t enjoy waiting for important information, but I like that California wants people to vote.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

But when she came back to the California Institute of Technology in early May and heard what was happening at Mount St. Helens, she knew she had to get up to the volcano.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone